Revolutionizing Card-Reader Security with Two-Factor Badging™
🔒 Patent Pending Technology
Our unique Two-Factor Badging™ workflow has been submitted to the USPTO and is currently patent pending, reflecting our ongoing commitment to innovation in identity management.
A Day in the Life of a Hospital Associate
Two-Factor Badging™ for a Hospital Nurse
At 6:45 a.m., Emily, a registered nurse at St. Claire Medical Center, pulls into the employee parking lot. She opens the VerifyMyBadge™ (VMB) app on her phone while waiting at the gate. Because this entrance uses Pre-Authorization, she has up to 90 seconds to present her badge after generating her “I’m Here Certificate™.” When she reaches the reader, a simple badge tap opens the gate—no need to fumble with her phone.
Once parked, Emily walks to the staff entrance. Since her presence was already verified at the gate, she can access internal doors by just tapping her badge—thanks to a four-hour access window granted through her earlier verification. There’s no need to use her phone again unless that window expires or she enters a high-security area.
At 7:00 a.m., Emily heads to the time clock for her shift punch-in. Because the hospital requires Post-Authorization for clock-ins, she taps her badge and is prompted to confirm her identity using the VerifyMyBadge™ app, instantly generating a one-time “I’m Here Certificate™.” This ensures that it’s truly Emily—her badge, her phone, and her presence—starting the shift, not a co-worker clocking in for her.
Throughout the day, Emily can move securely through patient wards, medication rooms, and staff-only areas—all without needing to upgrade her badge or the hospital’s existing badge readers.
Key Takeaway
With Two-Factor Badging™ powered by VerifyMyBadge™, St. Claire Medical Center boosts security without replacing existing badges or badge readers. It ensures that access is tied to the person, not just the plastic badge, minimizing the risks of badge theft, sharing, or misuse—while keeping daily operations smooth and staff frustration low.
Two-Factor Badging™ for a Hospital Physician
Dr. Patel arrives at Riverside General Hospital just before his 7:30 a.m. rounds. While sitting in his car at the employee lot entrance, he opens the VerifyMyBadge™ app and taps to generate an “I’m Here Certificate™.” Because the parking gate supports Pre-Authorization, he doesn’t have to stop and fumble with his phone when he reaches the reader. He taps his existing badge, and the gate opens—smooth, secure, and efficient.
Once inside, he enters through the staff entrance. Since his presence was already confirmed at the gate, he can walk through internal doors just by presenting his badge. The hospital has configured those readers to accept access for the next four hours, meaning he won’t need to use his phone again during that time unless accessing restricted areas.
Later that morning, Dr. Patel needed to enter the pharmacy storage room, which holds controlled substances. Because this is a high-security zone, the system requires Post-Authorization. He taps his badge at the door, then quickly confirms his identity in the VMB app to generate a one-time “I’m Here Certificate™.” The door unlocks only after confirming that Dr. Patel, his badge, and his phone are all present—providing strong protection against misuse or unauthorized access.
He continues his rounds, effortlessly accessing patient care areas and team meeting rooms with just his badge. Even though he’s using the same badge and readers as before, he and the hospital benefit from a much higher level of security—all without needing new hardware or issuing new credentials.
Key Takeaway
With VerifyMyBadge™ and Two-Factor Badging™, Riverside General adds intelligent, flexible security layers to existing badge systems. For staff like Dr. Patel, it means stronger identity protection, streamlined access, and zero disruption to their demanding schedules—all while avoiding costly infrastructure upgrades.
What is Tidal ID™?
Tidal ID™ is an innovative bridge software solution that connects badge-reader transaction systems without requiring hardware upgrades. It synchronizes data, photos, and transactions to ensure consistency and enhance security through the Tidal Identity Store™ module. Additionally, we enable Two-Factor Badging™ technology to enhance security and eliminate the need for costly badge reader upgrades using our VerifyMyBadge™ mobile app.
With this approach, the badge is no longer the weakest link in security, regardless of the technology employed, when paired with a mobile device. You can extend the life of your current badges and readers indefinitely! We’re excited to show you more – click below to explore the solution.
Verify My Badge™ is the key to Tidal ID’s security innovation, making the Two-Factor Badging™ process possible. It enhances traditional badge systems by adding a mobile authentication step, preventing badge duplication, sharing, and theft while ensuring stronger identity verification.
Two-Factor Badging™ Engagement Types:
Post-Authorization
- Once a badge is presented to the reader, the cardholder opens their VerifyMyBadge™ app and quickly generates an I’m Here Certificate™ for instant approval. This process is particularly useful for granting access to highly secured areas or for recording an initial time clock punch. It ensures that the badge holder, their badge, and their mobile device are all present during this secure authorization transaction.
Present Card to Reader
Present Card to Reader
Generate 2FB Certificate
Certificate Acknowledgement
Pre-Authorization
- In contrast, pre-authorization through the VMB app allows users to generate a certificate while approaching the reader, meaning only the badge presentation is required before the certificate expires. Extended certificate expiration times can be assigned to specific internal readers, while other readers may operate under defined rules that necessitate either post-authorization or pre-authorization with very short expiration times.
Generate 2FB Certificate
Certificate Acknowledgement
Present Card to Reader
Present Card to Reader
Verify My Badge™ Features Coming Soon Include:
- Geofence Enabled: This feature allows the I’m Here Certificate™ to be generated based on a specific set of rules once a device is recognized and authenticated.
- Push Notifications: When the badge is presented to the reader, and the request is denied, Tidal ID™ will send a pop-up notification to the VeryMyBadge™ app. If the app is not enabled, an SMS notification will be sent instead, prompting the user to create the I’m Here Certificate™.
- SMS Messaging: Text messages will be used for mobile devices that have not yet downloaded or have access to the VeryMyBadge™ app for any reason. Additionally, SMS can serve as a secondary notification process unrelated to certification.
- Transaction Farming and AI Notifications: As each badge reader system subscribes to Tidal ID™, all transaction strings can be archived for cross-verification. For example, if there are recorded time clock punches on the premises but no corresponding successful door access control transactions, a notification will be sent to a designated individual or messaging group to initiate further action.
Tidal Identity Store™ is a centralized data repository that allows for seamless identity verification across enterprise systems such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), IAM (Identity and Access Management), and SSO (Single Sign-On), along with all related card-reader systems. The Tidal Identity Store™ serves as middleware, acting as a trusted bridge that connects these disparate systems, ensuring that their data is reliable and secure.
The Tidal Identity Store™ consolidates all source data into one location and uses API and SFTP tools to securely provide it to others, some of whom may supply source data and photo elements.
- Verify My Badge™ (two-factor badging™)
- Photo Identification Management (badge issuance)
- Physical Door Access (door access)
- Time and Attendance (time clocks)
- Visitor Management (badge issuance)
- Point of Sale (retail, concession, events)
- Tracking
- Parking & Perimeter Access (gates and barriers)
- Asset Assignment
- Crib and Cabinet Access
- Events
- Logical Access (workstation access)
- Any other system that uses a technology badge for authentication purposes
Technical Brief:
Source Database publishes authenticated data within the Tidal Identity Store™ via secure API and SFTP tools.
Human Resources, Student, and Membership Information systems are the primary owners and publishers of related badge-holder source data:
- Unique ID numbers
- First Name
- Last Name
- Middle Initial
- Department
- Title
- Work Location
- Certifications
- Hire Dates
- Termination Date
- Record Status
- Mailing Address
- Email Address
- Mobile Phone Number
- Reporting Manager
- Last Record Edit Date
- Any additional field that helps manage photo ID issuance across multiple systems efficiently.
Secondary systems include photo ID, physical access control, time and attendance, and other systems that may author source data such as:
- Preferred First Name
- Active ID Photo
- Previous ID Photos
- Photo Capture Dates
- Badge Number(s)
- Badge Issue Date(s)
- Badge Print Date(s)
- Badge Expiry Date(s)
- Badge Tech Type(s): Prox, Contactless, Chip, iClass, Mag Stripe, Barcode
- Badge Tech Specification(s): Mfr, Frequency, Encryption/Bits, Track Info…
- Time Zones
- Reader Groups
- Time Clock Groups
Badge reader systems using the Tidal Identity Store™ ensure that all of their associated primary source data is current and that any secondary source data is shared with all connected systems that depend on it to manage secured transactions and physical identities.
The Problem: Fragmented Systems and Data Integrity Challenges
Many organizations operate multiple badge-reader systems across different departments, facilities, or acquired entities. These systems often use independent databases that are:
- Initially integrated but are no longer synced
- Populated via one-time imports with no ongoing updates
- Maintained manually through duplicate keyboard entries
The result is a growing problem: data inconsistency. As each system operates in isolation, keeping user credentials, badge information, and access rights aligned across systems becomes a time-consuming, error-prone process.
This challenge compounds during mergers, acquisitions, or consolidations. Every new organization introduces its systems, badge technologies, and databases—further fragmenting the data environment and increasing the risk of outdated or conflicting access information.
The Solution: Tidal Identity Store™ – A Central Database Bridge
To solve this, organizations can implement the Tidal Identity Store™, a centralized database bridge that connects all disparate systems and redistributes accurate, up-to-date data across them.
The Tidal Identity Store™ acts as the single source of truth, continuously syncing with source systems (like HR, identity providers, or access management platforms) and then distributing standardized, validated data to every connected database.
With the Tidal Identity Store in place:
- Data is entered or updated once in the source system
- All connected databases are automatically updated in real-time or on a defined schedule
- Manual entry, duplicate records, and outdated data are eliminated
Tidal Identity Store™ not only keeps systems current—it simplifies consolidation.
When new systems are acquired:
- Connect: The new system’s database is linked to Tidal Identity Store™, allowing real-time data alignment with existing sources.
- Normalize: The Tidal Identity Store™ standardizes and synchronizes the new data with the primary identity model.
- Migrate: Once fully integrated and validated, the new system can be migrated into a primary platform, allowing legacy systems to be retired or repurposed.
This process enables organizations to scale efficiently while maintaining data integrity across all access control and identity management systems.
In Summary
Maintaining consistent, accurate data across multiple badge-reader systems and databases is a major challenge—especially during acquisitions. The Tidal Identity Store™ provides a centralized, automated solution that not only keeps all systems current but also accelerates consolidation and long-term platform unification.
Key Card-Reader Problems Solved
Organizations face growing security concerns and recurring costs due to outdated badge technology and fragmented identity management. Tidal ID™ provides a modern, cost-effective solution that eliminates the need for costly reader upgrades in most badge-reader-enabled systems.